Abstract

Background: Kawasaki disease is an inflammatory condition. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is a marker reflecting inflammation.

Aims: The aim of the study is to evaluate usefulness of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in diagnosis of Kawasaki disease and in prediction of coronary artery lesions.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Methods: Seventy-five children with Kawasaki disease and 66 controls were retrospectively enrolled. Their leukocyte, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were recorded. Abnormally distributed data were shown as median (interquartile range). Cases having coronary artery diameter two standard deviation above mean were diagnosed to have coronary artery lesions.

Results: Median age of Kawasaki disease patients was 34 months. Twentyfive of those (33.33%) had incomplete Kawasaki disease and twenty-six (34.66%) had coronary artery lesions. Leukocyte [12.61 (6.09)x103/µL vs. 8.48 (5.58)x103/µL], neutrophil [6.73 (4.10)x103/µL vs. 4.62 (5.47)x103/µL], and lymphocyte [4.04 (2.91)x103/µL vs. 3.02 (2.57)x103/µL] counts were significantly higher in Kawasaki disease patients compared to controls (all p values <0.01). However, there was not significant difference between patients and controls regarding neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio [1.72 (1.22) vs. 1.71 (1.88)]. Findings of Kawasaki disease and incomplete Kawasaki disease cases did not differ, while comparison of patients with and without coronary artery lesions revealed significantly higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio values in former group [2.02 (1.63) vs. 1.50 (1.28), p=0.01]. The cut-off neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio value for prediction of coronary artery lesions was determined as 1.32.

Conclusion: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio values in Kawasaki patients with coronary lesions were significantly higher than the ones without and values greater than 1.32 were useful in prediction of coronary lesions.